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E. P. ELZEY.

FOLDING CHAIR 0R SEAL APPLICATION man APB.26. I919.

1,325,359. Patented 'Dec. 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- :3 INVENTOR. p?

A TTORNEY.

E. P. ELZEY.

FOLDING CHAIR 0R SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED mus. m9.

1,325,359. Patented Dec. 16,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- izilgvrmk. BY z A TTORNEY.

UNITED @FI IQQ EDGAR P. ELZEY, OF PARKEB-SBUBG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE AU-TO PLAY GOODS COMPANY, OF PABKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

FOLDING CHAIR, OR SEAT.

Patented Dec. 16, ieio.

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 292,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR I. ELZEY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Parkersburg, Wood county, State of IVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs or Seats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in folding chairs or seats; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be thepreferred me chanical expression or embodiment of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and durable folding chair or the like, particularly intended for porch swings, 21 though capable of adaptation for other chair or bench purposes, and of such formation and construction as to per mit collapse or folding into compact form for packing and storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding chair or seat that can be easily folded or collapsed, and as easily restored to set-up or operative position and locked in such position against accidental collapse.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists of certain novel features in construction, and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of my invention embodied in the form of a swing chair, the chair being shown in operative or set up adjustment.

Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the swing chair in folded or collapsed adjustment.

Figs. 3 and at, are detail views.

In the embodiment disclosed by the drawings, the seat or chair consists of a bottom or main support; a back pivotally joined thereto and adapted to fold downwardly approximately onto the bottom; folding end arm restspivotally joined to the bottom and the hack and in. this car";

attaching means by which the chair is coupled to the porch Or other swing hangers; and locks or latches for holding the chair in operative or set up position and against collapse.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, the main supporting frame, bottom or chair seat comprises a mainframe of longitudinal bars 1 and cross bars 2 rigidly secured together with the chair or seat bottom secured on this frame. This seat bottom can be composed of any suitable form or construction, although in this instance, I show the same formed by parallel longitudinal slats 3 secured on the longitudinal and cross bars 1, 2 of the supporting frame.

In the example illustrated, the end cross bars 2 have their rear ends 2 extended rear wardly beyond the rear longitudinal bar of the seat or bottom frame, and the lower ends of upright posts l fit the outer vertical side faces of these projecting ends 2 and are secured thereto by bolts or other securing means 4: The two posts 4 project upwardly a distance above the general horizontal plane ofthe seat bottom.

The inner side faces of the rear ends of horizontal cross cleats 5 fit the outer vertical side faces of the posts 4: about midway the lengths of said posts, and these cleats are rigidly fixed to said posts by screws 5 or other suitable means to brace the posts and hold them against swinging on securing means 4i.

The cleats 5 are arranged at the ends of the seat bottom with their bottom edges fitting and traversing the top faces of the seat bottom slats, and the slats traversed by said cleats are nailed or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, so that the cleats are arranged above the seat bottom formed by the slats and are rigid therewith. These cleats project rearwardly beyond the seat bottom, but at their. frontends-terminateshort of the front longitudinal edge of the seat bottom. The cleats, in this example, are olfset outwardly from the vertical planes in which the end cross bars 2 are respectively located, and fit and are secured on the ends of the slats 3 that project outwardly beyond'said bars 2. The front ends of the cleats are preferably cut off squarely to form vertical stop shoulders 5 and the ends of the slats at the front of the seat bottom, portion larly those in advance of shoulders 5*, are cut off approximately flush with the outer vertical side faces of the front end portions of cross bars 2, whereby the front end corners of the seat are in effect notched out.

The chair back comprises end uprights 7 rigidly secured together in any suitable manner and carrying any suitable filling such as cross or horizontal slats S. The downwardly projecting lower ends of the uprights -7 overlap the posts a and are arranged at the inner vertical. side faces thereof. The lower ends of these uprights are pivotally joined to the upper ends of said posts in any suitable manner as by alined transverse pivot or hinge bolts 10, so arranged that the back can swing up and rearwardly to upright oper ative position, or forwardly to folded position on the seat bottom, approximately parallel therewith, and between the end cleats 5 thereof.

The end folding arms consist of arm rests 11 and front links 12. The arm rest 11 of each arm, at its rear end fits the vertical outer face the adjacent back upright 7, and is pivotally joined to said upright in any suitable manner, as by transverse pivot bolt 11. The front end of said arm rest overlaps the upper end of its link 12, and said ends are pivotally joined in a suitable manner as by transverse pivot bolt 11 so that the outer side face of the arm rest is arran ed at the inner-vertical side face of the link. The lower end of said link is arranged in the notch at the outer corner of the seat bottom and is pivotally joined to the front end of the adjacent cross bar 2 of the seat by any suitable means, such as transverse pivot bolt 12. The lower end of the link is ar *anged at the vertical outer face of said cross bar and the link is arranged in advance of the front end shoulder of the adjacent cleat 5 and in approximately the same vertical plane as said cleat. In the particular example illustrated, the arrange ment such, that when the back is in normal operative position, the arm rests are approximately horizontal and the front links 12 approximately vertical, with their rear edges abutting against the front ends 5 of the seat bottom cleats 5, whereby rearward movement of the back beyond its normal operative position is prevented. hen the back is swung forward, the front links and arm rests swing forwardly and downwardly therewith, said links and arms closing together approximately jack knife fashion and projecting forwardly from the back and seat bottom with the arm rests fitted between the seat bottom end cleats and the end uprights of the back.

The construction as so far described, provides stop means to prevent swing of the back rearwardly beyond set up or operative position and to sustain the back in operative position. against excessive rearward pressure, but in practice, I find that under certain conditions the back will sometime be swung forwardly toward folded position, or in use there is sometimes a tendency of the back to swing back and forth relatively to the seat bottom, or a more or less objectionable looseness or play between the back and seat bottom. I have hence provided means to lock the back and seat bottom together and brace the same against relative swinging movement and to hold the links of the arms more or less tightly against the stop shoulders formed by the s at bottom cleats, when the chair is in set up or operative adjustment.

In the particular example illustrated, I accomplish this resul by providing a pair of spring or resilient metal latches or looks 18, one for each arn'i, and whereby the arm rests are directly tied to the seat bottom cleats. Each latch consists of a spring or resilient metal rod 18 at one end bent at right angles to form trunnion or pivot end 18 and at its other end bent at right angles but in the opposite direction from the trunnion 18 to form the bolt end 18. These latches are pivotally'coupled to the forward portions of the arm rests by inserting the trunnions 18 through transverse holes in said rests and then riveting the projecting extremities of the trunnions against washers 18. Transverse holes or sockets 18 are formed in the rear portions of the seat bottom cleats to receive the bolts 18 of said latches.

Each metal rod that forms a latch or lock, is, in the example shown, straight between its oppositely extending laterally-bent ends. and these straight body lengths are arranged at the outer vertical side faces of the arm rests and are adapted to depend therefrom beside the inner side faces of the seat bottom cleats with the bolts at the lower ends of the latches extending outwardly into the holes or sockets in the rear portions of said cleats, to lock and hold the chair in set up adjustment. hen the chair is in set up adjustment, these latches form inclined braces from the front portions of the arm rests to the rear portions of the cleats holding the upright links of the arms back into more or less tight engagement with the front ends of the cleats and also holding the arms and consequently the back against forward movement with respect to the seat. These latches thus greatly stiffen and strengthen the chair as an entirety. The tension of the metal rods forming the latches tends to hold the free lower ends thereof in operative position with their bolts in the sockets in the seat bottom cleats. and as the lower ends of these latches are arranged at the inner side faces of said cleats there is no danger of said latches being accidentally sprung laterally in a direction to disengage their bolts from said cleats, by the occupants of the chair. On the contrary the pressure of the occupants against said latches will be in a direction to maintain said bolts in their sockets in the cleats.

When the chair is to be collapsed or folded, the lower ends of the metal rods or latches are pressed or sprung inwardly to free their bolts from the sockets in the cleats, and said latches are then swung upwardly until their bolts or free ends rest loosely on the top edges of the cleats. The chair back can then be folded down onto the seat or bottom and the latches will then extend rearwardly beside the arm rests and rest freely on the top edges of the cleats. When the chair is restored to set up or operative position, the latches will hang freely from the arm rests with their bolts resting on the top edges of the cleats. The chair is locked in set up position by springing the free ends of the latches inwardly until their bolts clear the cleats and then swinging the latches downwardly at the inner side faces of the cleats until the bolts spring into the sockets therefor in the cleats. The chair is then looked in set up or operative adjustment.

In the example illustrated, I show the arm rests, at their front and rear ends, equipped with upwardly projecting hook or eye bolts a for attaching swing hangers to the chair and for thus supporting the chair from such hangers, although I do not wish to limit my invention to chairs thus supported.

It is evident that various changes, modifications, and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention-and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosure hereof.

What I claim is 1. A folding chair comprising a seat provided with abutments, a back pivotally joined to the seat to fold forwardly thereonto, said abutments arranged to limit the rearward swing of the back with respect to the seat when in set up position, folding arms pivotally joined to the back and to the seat, and pivotal folding brace-forming latches normally joining the arms and seat and holding said back and arms locked against forward movement and -in position held by said abutments against rearward movement.

2. A swing chair constructed and a ranged for suspension by swing hangers, and comprising a seat, end cross bars thereunder, upwardly projecting posts fixed to the rear ends of said cross bars, a back at its lower end hinged to the upper ends of said posts to fold forwardly and downwardly toward said seat, and folding arms to fold forwardly and downwardly, said arms composed of arm rests and links pivotally joined together, the rests pivotally joined to the back and the lower ends of the links pivgtally joined to the front ends of said cross ars.

3. A folding chair having a seat with rear end posts, a back hinged to said posts to fold forwardly toward the seat, folding arms composed of arm rests pivoted to the back and links pivoted to said rests and to the seat, and end cleats secured on the seat and at their front ends forming abutments to engage said links and limit the rearward swlng thereof.

4:. A folding chair having a seat with rearwardly projected end cross bars, posts secured to the rear ends of said bars and projecting upwardly, transverse cleats secured on said seat and projecting rearwardly therefrom and secured to said posts, a back hinged to the posts to fold forwardly and downwardly between said cleats, and folding arm rests pivotally joined to the back and seat, abutments being provided to engage the arm rests and limit rearward swing of the back.

5. A folding chair having a seat providing abutments, a back hinged to the seat to fold forwardly thereonto, folding arms pivotally joined to the back and seat, and arranged to engage said abutments to limit rearward swing of the back, and pivoted brace-forming latches having free ends formed with bolts, said latches arranged to tie the arms to the seat to hold the arms against said abutments and lock the back against swinging movement with respect to the seat.

6. A folding chair embodying a seat having parts rigid therewith and providing transverse sockets, a back hinged to the seat to fold forwardly approximately thereonto, links at their lower ends pivoted to the seat, arm rests at their rear ends pivoted to the back and at their front ends pivoted to the upper ends of said links, said seat providing abutments to engage said links and limit rearward swing of the back, and latches pivoted to said arm rests at their free ends having bolts to enter said sockets when the chair is in set up adjustment to lock the back against forward swing.

EDGAR P. ELZEY. 

